Type: Metal Historical Plate on Signpost
Erected by: IUPUI
Installation Date: 2007
Location: Southeast Corner of Michigan Street and Porto Alegre Street
A historical marker was placed to mark one location of Indianapolis Fire Station 1 .
Moved from its previous site on Indiana Avenue, Fire Station 1 operated from its Michigan Avenue location from 1938 until 1982.
The Indianapolis Fire Department began hiring its first African American firefighters in 1876. From then until 1959, all black firefighters hired into the department were assigned to Fire Station 1. In the early 1960’s, the department began to desegregate the station by transferring out some of the black firefighters and transferring in some white firefighters.
Station 1 moved from this location in 1982 to its current location on West 10th Street. The original building was razed in 1993.
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Resources and additional information:
- Sims, Chris. (February 4, 2015). Retro Indy: Blacks First Served City as Firefighters in 1976. Indy Star. (website)
- Historical photo courtesy of Indianapolis Fire Department via the above website.